Hikes in Welden

This great route takes you through quiet forests, idyllic stream valleys, and mossy paths in the Fischbachtal – lots of nature far from the hustle and bustle, with two cozy shelters.

Extensive winter hike in the Westliche Wälder Nature Park between Welden, Streitheim and Bonstetten

Romantic hike on narrow root paths along the Weldenbahn cycle route

In the footsteps of Ludwig Ganghofer With 40 million books sold, he is probably one of the most successful German bestselling authors. Born in Kaufbeuren in 1855, he spent part of his childhood in Welden from 1859-65 as the son of the district forester August Ganghofer, who was later even ennobled as the highest Bavarian forestry official due to his invention of the practical wood calculator. He collected formative childhood experiences in the woods and fields, which he processed in numerous novels in which his homeland always took center stage. Many were also made into films. Abused by the National Socialists for propaganda purposes, he later fell into oblivion.

Route from "Bahnhofstraße, 86465 Welden" to "Bahnhofstraße, 86465 Welden" via "St2032, 86441 Zusmarshausen", "86441 Zusmarshausen, 86441 Zusmarshausen", "86441 Zusmarshausen, 86441 Zusmarshausen", "86441 Zusmarshausen, 86441 Zusmarshausen", "86441 Zusmarshausen, 86441 Zusmarshausen", "86441 Zusmarshausen, 86441 Zusmarshausen"

Tour south of Emersacker. First to the ice ponds, then through the forest to the Hubert Chapel, The Hubert Chapel is part of the "Seven Chapels" project by the Siegfried and Elfriede Denzel Foundation. https://7kapellen.de/die-kapellen/kapelle-emersacker-von-wilhelm-huber/

Nature Park Augsburg - Western Forests Nature Park Augsburg - Western Forests There may be a ban on entry or other usage restrictions

​Ludwig Ganghofer spent six years of his childhood in Welden. He played with friends in the surrounding forests and had countless adventures. Many places from his childhood inspired Ganghofer, and he turned them into settings for his novels. On our hike, we’ll visit some of these places. Don’t be confused: There are three hiking trails in Welden dedicated to Ludwig Ganghofer. Some sections of these trails follow the same route. The “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” is a signposted trail maintained by the Westliche Wälder Nature Park. The “Ludwig Ganghofer Rascals’ Trail” is a newer themed trail with five stations, all of which we’ll experience on our loop. Finally, there’s the “Ganghofer Audio Tour,” an audio tour with nine stops (www.augsburg-tourismus.de/de/ludwig-ganghofer/lauschtour). If you’d like, you can listen to some of the stops on the “Ganghofer Audio Tour” along the way. On Ludwig-Ganghofer-Straße in Weldener, there’s a large parking lot 1 by the bridge over the Laugna. We park our car there, study the information signs, and follow the marked “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” along the river. At the end of the footpath, we turn onto Schwarzbrunnenstraße and follow it to the southern edge of town (2), where the forest begins and a small hiking parking lot is located. Just before the parking lot, an information board provides details about the five stops on the “Ludwig Ganghofer Rascal Trail.” We follow the numerous trail markers and hike through the shady forest on the slope of the Laugna Valley. A few signs for the “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” accompany us to Station 2 of the “Lausbuben-Weg” 3. After digging in the sand, we continue walking, following the signs for the “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” and the “Ludwig Ganghofer Lausbubenweg”: We walk past the unassuming Ganghofer Fountain to the Ludwig Ganghofer Hut 4 (Station 3 of the “Lausbuben Trail”). At the hut, we keep to the left and once again follow the signs. We walk along a wide forest road into the side valley and ignore the forest path branching off to the left with the signs for the “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” (green bar) and “Zur Schneeburg” (red bar). At the next intersection of forest trails, a path marked with a red bar leads right toward Adelsried and Bonstetten—at this point, we turn left. This brings us to the August Ganghofer Hut 5 with a small rest area—not to be confused with the Ludwig Ganghofer Hut we visited earlier! The noteworthy Station 4 of the “Lausbuben-Weg” is located diagonally across from the hut: A massive spruce tree wraps its roots around the Nagelfluh rock—a great “adventure playground.” From the August Ganghofer Hut, it’s not far to the Ganghofer Spring 6: We head uphill and follow the signs to the right. There’s a bench by the enclosed spring. After a short rest, we climb uphill on a gravel path to the trail markers and follow the sign for the “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” (green bar) as well as the one toward Welden (red bar). We ignore a path branching off to the right and use the familiar signs to find our way at the next intersection. About halfway along a long, straight stretch of the trail, Station 5 of the “Lausbuben-Weg” 7 is impossible to miss. At this point, the themed trail turns left—we continue straight ahead on the “Ludwig Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail.” At the edge of the forest, a sign points to the “Schöne Aussicht” 8 viewpoint overlooking Welden, which features a bench. We walk downhill along the row of trees and into the village. At the junction of Hutstraße and Fuggerstraße stands a large wayside cross 9. We leave the marked “Ludwig-Ganghofer Circular Hiking Trail” and turn right. In a left-hand curve, we walk slightly uphill and, before the house “Galgenberg 3,” turn left onto Paul-Riepp-Straße. At the end of Paul-Riepp-Straße, we turn left onto Kolpingstraße, and at the end of that street, we turn right onto Neuleblang-Steig. Just before the parking lot, we follow the footpath through Ganghofer-Allee to the Carmelite Convent in Welden j. The active convent, which is currently home to 12 sisters (as of fall 2022), stands on the site of a medieval castle ruin where a former Fugger castle once stood. In 1755, Josef Maria Fugger von Wellenburg had the church built in honor of Saint Thecla. It features a remarkable Rococo interior. There is a lookout point in front of the convent church. Afterletting our gaze wander over Welden, we descend via the so-called Theklasteig to the market square and walk a few meters to the left to the Landgasthof zum Hirsch k. There we find the first—and for us, the last—stop on the “Ludwig Ganghofer Lausbubenweg.” It’s just a stone’s throw from the market square to Parking Lot 1.

From Achsheim to Adelsried through the western forests.

Jägersteig-Rundweg über Jägersteig und Hubertussteig